Digital trade

The World Trade Organization (WTO) reflects on the use of AI in intellectual property offices. Microsoft announced that AI-driven trade finance innovation is on the horizon. Euractive explains that the lapse of the WTO digital tariff moratorium is unlikely to trigger immediate chaos, but shift digital trade rulemaking toward plurilateral and bilateral deals. Fortune warns that weak digital trade rules could put the US services surplus at risk unless Washington pushes back against unfair barriers. Foreign Affairs argues that the US must rebuild its techno-industrial to gain a durable edge over China. The Council on Foreign Relations highlights that the Iran war could redirect Gulf capital away from US markets, tightening financing for technology firms.

Mentioned publications

TRIPS Council considers technology transfer, digitalization and non-violation complaints – World Trade Organization, April 24, 2026
The WTO Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) met on April 23–24 to discuss technology transfer, the digitalization of intellectual property offices, and TRIPS non-violation and situation complaints.
Reimagining trade finance with AI: A collaborative proof of concept from Microsoft, ANZ, HSBC, and Lloyds – Lucy Li, Microsoft, April 20, 2026
Li argues that agentic AI embedded in enterprise resource planning systems can transform trade finance by converting paper-heavy, fragmented processes into structured, standards-based data flows that reduce risk and enable seamless, embedded banking services.
Why Europe probably isn’t facing digital trade chaos – Maximilian Henning, Euractive, April 24, 2026
The lapse of the WTO’s digital tariff moratorium marks a symbolic break with decades of trade practice, opening legal space to tax digital transmissions while accelerating the shift toward plurilateral and bilateral deals.
The U.S. has a $282 billion trade surplus you’ve never heard of — and it’s at risk – Josh Kallmer, Fortune Op-ed, April 19, 2026
Kallmer contends that the Trump administration and Congress should reassert digital trade rules, pass bipartisan legislation, expand high-standard agreements with allies, and push back against unfair digital trade barriers to keep US firms and workers globally competitive.
The tech high ground: What it will take to gain an advantage over China – Jake Sullivan, Foreign Affairs, April 15, 2026
The US can prevail in long-term tech competition with China only by redefining “winning” around security and prosperity, while pursuing a sustained strategy to rebuild its resilient techno-industrial base, accelerate military innovation, shape a democratic digital order, and manage selective cooperation to avoid catastrophic escalation.
Disappearing Gulf Capital: The Iran war risk Wall Street isn’t watching– Rebecca Patterson, Council on Foreign Relations, May 1, 2026
Patterson warns that the Iran war could trigger a largely overlooked financial shock for the US, forcing Gulf sovereign wealth funds to redirect trillions of dollars inward and potentially tightening capital for US technology firms and financial markets even if energy prices stabilize.